20demayo Page 347
Page 347
He still has a lot to do.
The whereabouts of the Luan brothers have been discovered.
Liu Huiniang and Chen Liqing's whereabouts were discovered.
Shi Qian was responsible for investigating all of these matters.
Naturally, I don't have time to waste here with Chen Xizhen!
.........
This Liangshan Mountain has four main peaks and seven branch peaks.
It covers an area of over 100 kilometers, so it's impossible to explore it all in a day!
The next three days will be needed.
Chen Xizhen kept wandering around Liangshan.
But the more he turned, the more alarmed he became.
The more I walked around, the scarier I became!
Before joining Liangshan,
Although Chen Xizhen already knew,
These Liangshan bandits were different from ordinary outlaws.
His power was so formidable that officials and soldiers in various prefectures and counties feared him like a tiger.
Then they must have some extraordinary qualities!
But in Chen Xizhen's opinion,
A bandit is still a bandit.
They're only good at fighting!
But this time when I came up the mountain to take a look...
He then realized that
On this Liangshan Mountain,
Zhao Yuan and his group followed the official procedures exactly.
Let's govern the entire Liangshan!
Tens of thousands of people live on this mountain.
It is well-managed and orderly!
Everyone lives in peace and contentment, and every family has enough to eat and wear!
Just this,
They were already far better off than the people under the rule of the Song court!
Other than that,
The soldiers of Liangshan were also strong and well-equipped.
They train every day, rain or shine!
Chen Xizhen used to be an instructor in the Imperial Guards.
They knew the Imperial Guards very well!
The Imperial Guards of Tokyo were the foundation of the Song court.
But none of them can practice every single day!
Within the Imperial Guard, from the highest-ranking officers,
From the lowest-ranking soldiers and officers.
They're practically just wasting their time!
The entire Song court, still capable of fighting,
That would only be the Western Army, which has been engaged in constant warfare in recent years!
And apart from sergeants,
The military equipment on Liangshan Mountain,
This also greatly surprised Chen Xizhen!
Leather armor, iron armor, chainmail—they're everywhere!
Longbows and sharp arrows were even the secret weapons the Song court used to deal with the Western Xia and the Liao Dynasty.
They also have crossbows of all sizes!
In contrast,
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The Imperial Guards of Tokyo had not received new equipment for many years.
The military supplies funds were either taken by the emperor to meet his end.
Otherwise, they would be exploited by officials at every level.
This has resulted in Tokyo now having hundreds of thousands of imperial guards.
Besides those responsible for the emperor's safety and the palace guards
The armor was fairly well-preserved and the weapons were complete.
Will the remaining soldiers not go hungry?
That's already incredibly lucky!
this......
Is it truly the will of Heaven to destroy our Great Song Dynasty?
Chen Xizhen stood on the hilltop,
Looking at the bustling and prosperous Liangshan,
... ... ...
My heart is filled with bitterness!
.........
Three days later,
The soldiers led the blank-faced Chen Xizhen to the Hall of Righteousness.
"How are things? Master Chen, are Hui Niang and her cousin on my mountain?"
Zhao Yuan put down the document in his hand, looked up and asked.
"Not here,"
Chen Xizhen shook his head, sparing with his words.
"It seems that you've had many thoughts on your mind these past two days, Daoist Master?"
Zhao Yuan chuckled.
Seeing the bitter look on Chen Xizhen's face,
For Chen Liqing's sake,
He didn't want to make things difficult for the other party anymore!
"The Taoist priest hasn't found them, but I have news about them,"
Zhao Yuan said helplessly,
"Three days ago, when the Taoist priest went to Liangshan, Huiniang and her cousin appeared in Decheng County, Yizhou."
"Cheng County? What are they going there for?"
Upon hearing the news about her daughter and niece,
Chen Xizhen immediately became anxious.
"I don't know either,"
Zhao Yuan shook his head.
"All I know is that beside those two sisters was the Gao family woman from Zhaojia Village in Mengyin County, known as 'Mirror Sorghum'!"
Chapter 466 The Dilapidated House, Repair and Reconstruction
"Mirror-like sorghum?"
Chen Xizhen silently memorized the name.
He was not familiar with Yizhou.
But Liu Guang's family, who were related by marriage, were from Yizhou!
"In that case, I have troubled you these past few days, so I shall take my leave."
Chen Xizhen cupped his hands in greeting and said.
"Strange, why is the Taoist priest suddenly being so polite?"
Zhao Yuan asked curiously,
"I'm really not used to it."
"Hehe, I was too presumptuous before,"
Chen Xizhen chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"Only after arriving here did I understand why Liangshan was able to prosper so much in just half a year without the 'three-three-three' rule."
"Is that so? It seems the Taoist priest's trip was worthwhile."
Zhao Yuan replied with a smile.
"Zhao Dalang! I know you have grand schemes in your heart!"
Chen Xizhen suddenly said with a serious expression,
"But I hope that before you make any decision, you will seriously consider the common people of the world!"
"The current Song court is full of treacherous officials and corrupt bureaucrats!"
"The people of the world are suffering terribly!"
"But if the Song court falls, and the barbarians from the north and southwest occupy the Central Plains, everything will only get worse!"
Hearing that the old Taoist priest had reached this point,
They also advised him not to rebel against the Song Dynasty.
Zhao Yuan couldn't help but shake his head.
"Taoist priest, you now have a house that is dilapidated, with even the beams and pillars severely damaged."
"This house, even with all the repairs and maintenance, leaks rain and drafts everywhere, can only be lived in for another 10 or 20 years. In the end, it will inevitably collapse and the pillars will crumble."
"But if you harden your heart now and tear this house down and rebuild it,"
"Perhaps when building the house, you'll have to sleep in the wilderness, but once the house is finished, it will provide shelter from the wind and rain, allowing you to live comfortably for hundreds of years."
"I don't know which one to choose?"
"I........"
Chen Xizhen was startled.
He naturally understood the implication in Zhao Yuan's words.
The Song court now resembles that dilapidated hut.
With some repairs and maintenance, it might last another ten or twenty years.
But if things continue to deteriorate like this, it will eventually be difficult to avoid destruction!